In the last few years, the research on the spacing effect has become more widely known in the workplace learning field — perhaps, maybe a little, from my translational research work, particularly the research-to-practice report I wrote back in 2006. Even more importantly, subscription-learning authoring tools have emerged (e.g., QMINDshare, Cameo, Mindmarker) that enable learning nuggets to be spaced over time.

But a story told to me by Bill Welter of Adaptive Strategies made me realize that the underlying need for some sort of long-term learning engagement was really a timeless need — based on the fundamental components of the human-learning architecture.

Bill’s Story

A few years ago Bill was approached by a senior executive at a large corporation with a request to help her “improve strategic thinking within my team.” Unfortunately, for all involved, there were severe time and distance “issues” so a workshop (either face-to-face or online) was ruled out.

Bill suggested that she have her team read Joan Magretta’s book, Understanding Michael Porter: the essential guide to competition and strategy, and that he (Bill, not Michael) would provide commentary and “points to ponder” for each of the chapters. She liked the idea.

So, for a couple of months, Bill sent weekly e-mails to her team with commentary and questions for each chapter in the book. The client was happy and need was fulfilled, but Bill looks back on the experience with some regrets — regrets that recently came to light as he learned about the power of new technologies to keep learners engaged over time. One of Bill’s major frustrations was that although he invited feedback and comments, the engagement turned out to be mostly a one-way communication. Bill sent reflection prompts, but he had no way of knowing how engaged, interested, or committed his learners were. After the fact, he had people tell him that they liked the book and his comments, but he didn’t have access to today’s social-learning tools nor to subscription-learning.

When Bill told me the story, I immediate thought of my own work as a leadership trainer back over a decade ago. There was something that made me realize that my learners needed more learning after the formal training had ended. I sent them emails for a month or so after the training. Like Bill, it was mostly a one-way line of communication. I sent nuggets, and I got responses from a few of my learners (very positive comments as I remember), but I wasn’t really able to monitor progress, provide feedback, or modify my content/delivery based on new insights about how the learning was going.

I also remember a military intelligence expert who taught a course and offered his learners the opportunity to subscribe to his email blasts after the course. He wasn’t a learning expert, but he figured that since he was collecting and curating this information anyway, that his learners might be interested. He not only got about 95% of folks signing up, but his emails often got lots of responses from folks who found them valuable.

Long-Term Learning Engagement

There are many examples of long-term learning engagement besides these. For at least a century, colleges and universities have had 10-15 week sessions, engaging with learners over time. Many leadership programs I’ve been involved with teach stuff in the classroom, then have the learners go back to the job for a month or so, then go back to the classroom, then go back to work, etc. Religious congregations have meetings once a week — sometimes more often. Parents inculcate values and life skills everyday over many years.

What Makes the Need Timeless

It’s clear from these examples that engaging learners over time is a powerful learning approach — probably even a NECESSARYone.

What makes this need timeless is the human cognitive architecture itself.

First, there’s often a lot to learn.

Second, repetitions support learning because people often need repetitions (a) to fully understand something, (b) to learn the information they missed earlier, (c) to remember things they’d forgotten, and (d) to strengthen and reinforce what they already know.

I’ve been blogging since 2005. I’ve blogged at Work-Learning.com, WillAtWorkLearning.com, Willsbook.net, SubscriptionLearning.com, LearningAudit.com (and .net), and AudienceResponseLearning.com. All of those efforts are now consolidated here.

See SmileSheets.com for information on my book, Performance-Focused Smile Sheets: A Radical Rethinking of a Dangerous Art Form.

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Mission:

To bring research-based wisdom to the workplace learning field through my writing, speaking, workshops, evaluations, learning audits, and consulting.

The business case is clear. By utilizing the science of learning, we create more effect learning interventions, we waste less time and money on ineffective practices and learning myths, we better help our learners, and we better support our organizations.